Brighter
by knifethrowastarr
Summary: HGGW. Written for a contest at The Third Floor Corridor. Hermione's got a new job in America. Will George tell her his secret before she leaves?
1. A New Job

**A/N: Hermione/George ship. Written for a contest at The Third Corridor. Please enjoy. :)**

**Brighter**

"_And if it all ends today_

_Well, I'll still say_

_That you shine brighter than anyone..."_

_-'Brighter' - Paramore_

**Chapter 1: A New Job**

"Ugh! Bloody packing tape!" Hermione yelled and kicked at a box on her bedroom floor. She was quite a sight to be seen. Her normally bushy brown hair was being it's bushy self, but she had bits of Styrofoam stuck in it. Her jeans and t-shirt had bits of packing tape stuck to them. She took a step back and jumped when she stepped on some bubble wrap. Her entire room was in upheaval as she was packing her things for her move to America. She sighed and flopped down on her bed, which was partially covered with books. She stared at the ceiling. Moving to America was about the last thing she though she'd be doing after the war ended. But, a wizarding school had contacted her and asked her to fill the Transfiguration position, and she could hardly refuse. It had always been in her nature to teach, and the salary was very good. Breaking the news to her friends was hard. Ron whimpered like a small child, and Harry had looked disappointed. Ginny was ecstatic for her friend, though, and that made Hermione feel a little better. She had promised to write of course, and she'd floo in at any chance she got.

She absentmindedly picked a piece of tape off her leg and sat up. She had promised herself she'd do the packing the muggle way, but it was becoming way too tiring. She waved her wand and her things packed themselves. When it was finished, she shrunk all her boxes and put them in her purse. Nodding in satisfaction, she ran to take a shower and get ready to attend her last dinner at the Weasley's before she moved. She turned on the water and stepped in, letting the hot water soothe her aching muscles. She vowed she'd never try to do anything the muggle way ever again as long as she didn't have to. She washed her hair, and began to think about how much she would miss all her friends. Ron and Harry she'd miss the most, seeing as they were attached at the hips ever since their first year at Hogwarts. Ginny had also become a very close friend, and the only real female friend that Hermione had. And then there was Molly and Arthur, who were like surrogate parents to her. She'd miss Molly's cooking, and Arthur's interest in everything muggle.

And then there was the twins. They had infuriated her all though school, with their disregard for rules, and their testing of their products on helpless first years. Being a prefect was not easy with them around, and Ron was no help, seeing as they were his brothers, and they weren't afraid to pummel him if need be. To this day, Fred still drove her crazy, but something had changed in George. He wasn't as annoying to her. She couldn't seem to figure out why, but he was always the first to apologize and try and make things right again. Fred took the mickey out of him every time he did, and yet he ignored his twin and would always grin at her. She shook her head and rinsed the shampoo out of her hair. What was she thinking about really? This was George Weasley, prankster extraordinaire.

After she finished with her shower, she got dressed and dried her hair with her wand. Making sure everything was in order, she concentrated on the Burrow's living room and closed her eyes. With a soft pop, she appeared there, to find Ron and Harry playing wizards chess.

"Oh, do you boys do ANYTHING else lately?" She groaned and sat down next to Harry.

"Nope." Ron replied, poking his tongue out the corner of his mouth in concentration.

Harry grinned. "It's the only thing we're good at, besides Quidditch."

"And fighting dark wizards!" Ginny chimed in from the doorway. Hermione looked up and smiled at her friend.

"Hello, Gin."

"Hello, Hermione. Mum wants to know if you'll help in the kitchen."

"Gladly." Hermione stood up and followed Ginny into the kitchen, where they found Molly waving her wand at the potatoes, making them peel themselves.

"Oh, good Hermione, I hope I saved you from a boring game of wizards chess." Molly Weasley smiled at her almost daughter.

Hermione grinned. "How'd I know that was a ploy to save me? Thank Mrs. Weasley."

"Oh, anytime dear. So, are you excited about your new job?"

Hermione nodded. "Yes. I think a change of scenery will be nice. Although, I'll miss you all so much!"

Ginny sighed. "Once again, I'll have no girls to talk to. Well, besides Luna, and we all know how hard a normal conversation with her can be."

The three women laughed at this.

"Oy, what's so funny then?" said a voice from the doorway.

"Yeah, we haven't said anything to make anyone laugh." said another voice, almost identical to the first.

"Well, you didn't have to. All we had to do was think of your faces." Hermione shot back.

"Oooh...Granger's getting quite sharp in her years." Fred came over and patted the top of her head.

"Oh, Hermione, you wound me." George walked over, holding a hand to his heart. He pretended to collapse and fell on the floor next to her, his tongue hanging out of his mouth.

Hermione shook her head at them. "You two are impossible."

'That turns you on, don't it?" Fred wiggled his eyebrows at her.

"Oh yes, Fred. Oh baby." Hermione dead-panned, rolling her eyes.

"Fred! Don't speak to a lady like that!" Molly yelled at her son. "Honestly, in front of your own mum!"

"Sorry, Mum." Fred grumbled.

George chuckled. "Oh Fred, I told you to learn when to keep your mouth shut." He stood up from the floor and brushed himself off.

Fred shot his brother a dirty look. "Piss off."

"Fred!"

"Sorry Mum." Fred shuffled out the back door with a scowl on his face.

Hermione stifled a giggle. "Good idea. He should get out of here before he opens his mouth again."

George nodded. "I bet those were his thoughts exactly. Let me go check on him though, he's probably crying in the shed or something." He rolled his eyes and bounded out the door.

Hermione sighed inwardly. Yes, they were still infuriating. Especially Fred. But there was something about George that she just couldn't shake. She hoped she wasn't going mental. Probably wouldn't be a good idea to be shaping young minds when you're completely nutters. She shook her head and brought herself back into the conversation in the kitchen, although part of her mind kept drifting to a certain twin.


	2. Revelations

**A/N: This one is a little depressing, sorry about that. Written for a contest at The Third Corridor. Please review. :)**

**Brighter**

"_If you run away now_

_Will you come back around?_

_And if you ran away_

_I'd still wave goodbye_

_Watching you shine bright..."_

'_Brighter' - Paramore_

**Chapter 2: Revelations**

George ran out the back door and found his twin brother sitting outside the shed, looking up at the darkening sky.

"Oy, Fred. You okay?"

"Yeah mate. Just couldn't keep my mouth shut in there. Didn't want Mum to jinx me, or make me de-gnome the garden again."

George nodded. "Just checking."

"Yeah..." Fred absently picked at the grass.

"You miss her, don't you?" George sat next to his brother.

Fred sighed. "Oh, like hell. I hate waking up everyday without her."

George patted his brother on the shoulder. Ever since the war, Fred was having a hard time. Angelina, Fred's long time girlfriend, had been killed in the final battle. Ever since, Fred had been having nightmares, and was skiving off sleep to avoid them. He'd been a completely different person, and George had been trying to help him though it. It wasn't easy though.

"I'm sorry, George. You must be tired of hearing all this."

"Gred, honestly. I've been listening to you talk about the same things for years. I could never tire of it." He grinned. "You just do what you need to do, mate. I'm here for you."

Fred smiled. "Thanks, Forge. But what we should really be discussing, is your crush on a certain bushy haired maiden known as Hermione Granger."

"Now that's the nosey twin I remember having." George made a face. "Do we have to talk about this?"

"Yes, we do. Now this is her last dinner here before she moves. Are you going to tell her?"

"No."

"Well, why the bloody hell not! She's leaving, mate. You're not going to see much of her after this. It's your last chance!"

George rubbed his eyes and sighed. He hated when his brother had a point. It was infuriating. He wanted to tell Hermione everything. How much he liked when she chewed on her lip when she was deep in thought. How he adored when she absentmindedly twirled her hair on her finger when she was reading a particularly good book. How cute she looked when she rolled her eyes at them. How he loved when she shot a comeback at them when they teased her. He snapped back to reality when Fred waved a hand in front of his face.

"Earth to twin...are you in there?"

"Yeah, sorry. Lost in thought."

"Look, George. You need to tell her. I mean, how do you think it'll feel if you never get to tell her? You'll feel like I do."

George looked at his brother. Fred was visually upset. "You mean...?"

"I loved Angelina. And I never got to tell her that, because I was too afraid she didn't love me as much as I loved her. And then...she..." Fred stopped. His eyes were watering.

George's thoughts ran a mile a minute. What if something happened, Merlin forbid, and he never told Hermione how he felt? She was going to a different country, and he wouldn't see her much, what if she met someone else?

"I guess getting rejected is better than never knowing if it could happen or not."

"Exactly, mate." Fred attempted to smile. "Do it tonight. Or I'll have Ginny do a Bat Bogey hex on you."

"Yes, sir." George stood up. "You okay to go inside?"

"Not just yet. Give me a few minutes." George nodded at his brother and headed inside. He'd do it tonight then, after dinner.


	3. The Truth

**A/N: This one is a bit fluffy, I guess. And maybe a bit sad. But mostly cute. Written for a contest at The Third Corridor. Enjoy. :)**

**Brighter**

"_I'll wave goodbye_

_Watching you shine bright_

_(You shine bright, you shine bright)_

_I'll wave goodbye tonight..."  
'Brighter' - Paramore_

**Chapter 3: The Truth**

Hermione sat down at the table with the rest of the Weasley family. They were all present for Hermione's going away dinner. Charlie, Bill, Fleur, Percy, Penelope (Percy's wife), Fred, George, Ron, Harry, Ginny, Arthur and Molly, of course. Plus, Remus and Tonks had come to eat. Hermione smiled at her large extended family. She'd miss these dinners more than anything. She glanced over at Ron, shoveling food into his mouth. She would NOT miss Ron's awful table manners, she thought smiling.

"And what are you smiling at, miss?" George, who was sitting to her right, leaned over and asked her.

"Oh. Just noting how much I won't miss watching your brother eat like he's never seen food in his life."

George chuckled. "Yes, but he's a growing boy, you know."

"Growing! He's already 6 foot 3! If he grows anymore, I'll suspect he's part giant."

"He was always the odd one in the family." George stroked his chin as if in thought. "It could be possible."

Hermione shook her head and continued to enjoy Molly's cooking. When dinner was finished, she assisted in clearing the table. She was just finishing drying off the dishes when George walked into the kitchen.

"Need a hand?" He asked.

"No, thanks though. Just finished."

"Ah." He smiled. "Fancy a walk around the lake then? Harry and Ron are back to their wizard chess game."

"Oh, well in that case, sure let's go." She grinned at him.

George moved to the coat rack and took down Hermione's sweater. He held it out for her and she slipped her arms in. He grabbed a light jacket and followed her outside. They walked in silence for awhile. Hermione was taking in the nice view of the moon reflecting on the lake. George seemed to be transfixed on his shoes. Hermione noticed his uncharacteristic silence.

"Are you alright, George?"

"Hmm?" George looked up at her. "Oh, no, I'm fine. Just thinking."

"What about?"

George cleared his throat. "I'm, um, going to miss you, Hermione."

She raised her eyebrows in shock. "You will?"

"Yeah. Hermione, I..." George stopped walking, and turned to face her. "I think you're an amazing person. You're sweet, caring and brave. You're smart, and beautiful. I've fancied you for quite some time."

Hermione didn't know what to do or say. Sweet? Beautiful? George Weasley thought she was beautiful? This was a lot to take in. "George...I..."

He continued. "And I was going to let you go off to America and not tell you. But Fred told me something tonight that made me change my mind."

Hermione just blinked at him.

"He told me that he never told Angelina how he really felt. And all I could think was that if I never got to tell you, how much it would hurt."

Hermione's heart wrenched for Fred. She had never realized how upset he must feel about losing Angelina. She looked at the man standing in front of her. His long ginger hair was blowing softly with the wind, his blue eyes were pleading. Her mind wandered back to her previous thoughts on the Weasley twin. That feeling she couldn't shake about him, that couldn't be...no. She couldn't fancy him, could she? She surveyed him again. He was very handsome, she had always thought that about him. And, contrary to popular belief, he was a genius. The treats that he and Fred created for their shop were not easily made. He was also an extremely sweet and loyal person.

"Look, Hermione. I'm not expecting you to feel the same way about me, I just wanted to let my feelings be known, before it was to late. I'm sorry." He turned and started walking back towards the house, looking dejected.

"George, wait!" Hermione called after him, and began to jog to catch up. He stopped walking and turned to look at her. "George, I...I'll miss you too." She felt the tears welling up in her eyes. She wrapped her arms around his waist and cried into his chest. She felt his arms go around her, one hand softly stroking her hair. She pulled away and looked up at him. "Do you want me to be honest with you, George?"

George tried to smile. "Have you ever been anything but?"

Hermione smiled. "No." She wiped the tears off her face. "I can't say I fancy you, George. Not yet. But I'd like to spend some time with you."

George nodded his head. "Okay. I can accept that." He leaned over and gave her a kiss on the cheek. "Promise you'll write then?"

"Of course I will." She gave him another hug. "We better get back, they'll think I kidnaped you."

"You can't kidnap the willing, dear." George grinned cheekily.

They began the walk back to the burrow, both with silly grins on their faces.


	4. Missing You

**A/N: I've gotten good feedback, so thank you to everyone who left a review. This story was written for a contest at The Third Corridor. Read on!**

**Brighter**

"_And I won't let you fall away_

_From me._

_You will never fade away._

_I won't let you fall away_

_You will never fade away.."_

'_Oh Star' - Paramore_

**Chapter 4: Missing you**

The next morning, Hermione woke up bright and early. She took a quick shower, dressed, and then surveyed her room one last time, making sure she hadn't forgotten anything. She went downstairs and to the fireplace. With a handful of Floo powder, she stepped into the hearth and yelled out. "Northstar!" She felt the familiar swirling feeling, and saw the different grates swirl past her, until she landed in a very cozy looking office. A young woman came rushing over to her.

"Oh, you must be Hermione Granger! It's nice to meet you." She held out her hand.

Hermione shook it and smiled. "Professor Guarino, it's nice to finally meet you too."

"Oh, please call me Beth." She smiled. "And welcome to Northstar American School of Wizardry and Witchcraft. Please, have a seat." She motioned to one of the comfy looking chairs sitting in front of her desk. Hermione sat down and surveyed the room. It was a comfy office, with pictures hanging on the walls of old headmasters, and of wizarding actors and actresses. Beth noticed Hermione looking around. "If you couldn't tell, I'm a big Shirley Temple fan. She was one of the greatest child witch actresses of all time." Beth smiled. "But lets get down to business. Classes start in a week, which will give you enough time to start making some lesson plans."

Hermione smiled. "I've already got plans set up for the first month and a half of classes."

"Wow! Well, I heard you liked to be well prepared, but that's amazing! Good, then. It'll give you a week to get settled in and meet the rest of the staff. Breakfast starts at 7 in the dining hall, lunch is at 12 and dinner is at 6. The students 3rd year and up get day trips to the local wizarding town, Holly Hill, once a month starting in November. If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to ask." Beth stood up. "I'll show you to your office then." She smiled and Hermione stood up to follow her.

"So, are you just the Headmistress, or do you teach also?" Hermione asked as they walked down the hallway.

"Oh, I'm also the Charms teacher here. You and I are the youngest teachers here, actually. I got the position of Headmistress because my Father passed on and left the position to me. It's been tough trying to prove myself, but I seem to be making progress. Okay here we go." Beth stopped in front of a doorway. "Your password is Chudley Cannons, but you can change it to whatever you want. I'm sure you know the spell."

Hermione nodded. "You pick the password yourself?"

"Yes, I'm a huge Quidditch fan, especially the Cannons. My whole bedroom was done orange when I was a kid."

"You, and my friend Ron would get along famously." Hermione grinned.

"Ron Weasley, you mean? He's a Cannons fan?"

"Yes, huge. His whole room is still done up orange." Both the girls giggled. Beth said the password and they walked into the room. It was a large office, with a desk sitting towards the back with two comfy chairs in front of it. There were floor to ceiling book shelves. There was also a fireplace, and a small grey owl was sitting on an owl perch in the corner. Off to the side was another doorway.

"That door leads to your bedroom, you've got your own bathroom also. Owl's yours, name him what you'd like. It's a welcome gift from me. If you need anything, just floo me through your fireplace. I've got some paperwork to get done." Beth smiled.

"Thanks so much, Beth. It's wonderful."

"Happy unpacking, and I'll see you at lunch." The blonde witch smiled and turned, walking out the door, leaving Hermione to her new rooms. Hermione looked around and sighed. She was homesick already. She walked over to her new owl.

"Hello." She stroked the owl's head. "I think I'll name you Mac." The owl hooted, as if to agree with the name. Hermione turned to her desk and sat down, pulling a quill and a fresh piece of parchment from her bag. She scribbled out a quick note and rolled it up, attaching it to Mac's leg. "Take this to George Weasley for me, please." The owl hooted once again and flew out the open window. Hermione sighed again and began to unpack her belongings.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

George sat behind the counter at the shop, picking at the wood in front of him. Hermione had only been gone for one day and he was already missing her. It wasn't even like she was around all the time, it was just the thought that she was further away than normal. He looked up at Fred finished up with a customer and walked over.

"George, will you stop moping already?"

"Sorry, Fred. Can't help it." George felt a little guilty, since Fred had much more of a reason to mope, and George was wallowing in self pity over something that just wasn't as big a deal.

Fred waved a hand. "Don't worry little brother, I understand."

George stood up. "Hey! I'm only 3 minutes younger than you."

"Yes, which makes you my little brother." Fred grinned. "Now that's better. Let's close up early and go get some dinner at mum's."

George nodded, and the twins began closing up the shop. Fred flipped the sign on the door to 'closed' and the two walked into the back room and up to the flat they shared. Fred walked into the living room and called to his brother.

"Oy, there's an owl here for you."

George walked into the living room and saw a small grey owl with a bit of parchment attached to his leg. He took the parchment off and unrolled it.

"It's from Hermione!" George grinned.

Fred smiled. "I'll go find some owl treats." He disappeared into the kitchen.

George plopped down on the couch and began to read.

_George,_

_I just got in a little while ago. I wanted to let you know that everything is going well so far. The Headmistress is very nice, and about my age. Classes don't start for another week, so I'll be doing nothing until then. Maybe you could come visit? There's a wizarding town just outside the grounds called Holly Hill, maybe we could visit it. Well, please write, as I'm sure I'll be bored out of my mind. _

_With love,_

_Hermione_

_P.S: My owl's name is Mac. Give him an owl treat and a rest before you send him back please?_

George re-read the note 6 times. Fred walked back into the room with an owl treat and gave it to the bird.

"What'd she say?"

"She wants me to come visit. Hey, didn't we look into a place called Holly Hill to open up a shop?"

"Yeah, we were supposed to go check it out, but then..." Fred stopped and turned pale.

"Oh...yeah...sorry Fred." George felt guilty for bringing it up.

"No matter. I'm going to go lay down, I'm not feeling great. Tell Hermione I said hello." Fred wandered towards his bedroom.

George sighed and rubbed his eyes. They were supposed to go visit Holly Hill, but then the final battle had started, so they instead had gone to fight. He always had a knack for bringing up the wrong things. He found a piece of parchment and scribbled back a response.

_Hermione, my dear,_

_I'm glad to hear everything is going well. I'd love to come visit you! I might need to tend to some business in Holly Hill this week, so it'll work out nicely. Please let me know when is a good time for me to come visit. I'm sending this letter with my own owl so Mac can have a rest. I trust you'll do the same with my owl, Miss Granger. Insert Weasley grin here. I hope to hear from you soon._

_Love,_

_George_

_P.S: Enclosed is something to help cure your boredom. _

George went downstairs and picked out one of the large barn owls that they used for shipping and attached the letter and gift to it's leg. "Deliver this to Hermione Granger, Please." The owl flew out the window and George watched it go. He'd be going to visit Hermione in a few days, and he couldn't wait. With the burden of his secret crush off his shoulders, he was free to be giddy about her. He practically skipped back up the steps to the flat thinking about her.


	5. Can't Hardly Wait

**A/N: Sorry about the lack of updating. I just moved to Florida. Anyway, this is written for a contest at The Third Floor Corridor. **

**Brighter**

**Disclaimer: Not mine…Oh I wish.**

"_I've seen love die, way too many times,  
When it deserved to be alive._

_I've seen you cry, way too many times,_

_When you deserved to be alive…alive."_

'_Emergency' – Paramore_

**Chapter 5: Can't Hardly Wait**

After she finished packing, Hermione spent the rest of the day exploring and meeting the rest of the teachers. When she arrived back in her room after dinner, she saw a barn owl sitting on her owl perch. She took the letter from its leg and scanned through it, smiling. She then opened up the small package the bird had come with. It was a 3W Patented Daydream Charm. She grinned and decided to save it for another day. She wrote George a letter back, inviting him to come visit that coming Tuesday. She fed the owl a treat and decided to let it rest. She turned in for the night with thoughts of a certain red head on her mind.

The next morning Hermione awoke to a loud hooting from the other room. She walked into her office to see Mac perched happily next to the large barn owl. She remembered her letter and gave it to the barn owl, which hooted its thanks and flew out the window. Hermione patted Mac affectionately on the head and turned to get ready for the day. On her way down to breakfast she ran into Beth.

"Good Morning!" Beth called, waving.

"Mornin' Beth, How are you?" The two women exchanged pleasantries on their way down to the hall.

"By the way, I was thinking about heading into Holly Hill this Tuesday, I was wondering if you'd like to join me? I could show you around." Beth asked, as they dug into their eggs.

"Oh, I'm sorry Beth, I'm meeting a friend down there on Tuesday. But, I could go down with you until I meet with him." Hermione smiled.

"Oh. Him? Who is the lucky guy then?" Beth grinned.

"His name is George. And he's just a friend." Hermione tried to look convincing. It was obviously failing.

"George…not Ron's brother? And you can't fool me, Hermione. I know that face. You fancy him."

"How is it you know Ron and his family?"

"How could I not? All the information about you and your friends was practically beat into my head the last few years of school. Harry Potter, the 'Boy Who Lived' and all his friends were very famous here in America. Still are, really. You were the ones who saved the whole Wizarding world!" Beth grinned. Hermione blushed. "Isn't George one of the twins? They're pretty handsome…I've seen pictures you know."

She nodded. "Yes. Poor Fred though, he's going through a rough time. I feel terrible." Beth gave her a puzzled look, so Hermione jumped into a short explanation. Beth frowned.

"The poor thing! It must be so hard for him!"

Hermione nodded, a small idea forming in her head. "Maybe I will take you up on that offer to go to town on Tuesday. I'm going to floo George and see if he'll bring Fred with him, so you can meet him."

Beth grinned. "Oh…wow! That sounds great Hermione!" A look of panic crossed her face. "What am I going to wear?"

Hermione burst out laughing.

XxXxXxXxXxXxX

George was sitting behind the counter at work again, holding two letters in his hand. The first one was from Hermione, asking him to visit that coming Tuesday. The other was from a landlord who owned an abandoned building in Holly Hill, asking him to meet on Wednesday to check it out. He smiled to himself and jotted a quick response to the landlord, saying he'd meet him around noon. He stood up and stretched. The store was empty and Fred was down one of the isles packing out a box of fake wands. He walked into the back office to look over some paperwork and he almost had a heart attack when he saw Hermione's head in his fire.

"Blimey Hermione!"

"Well, hello to you too, George." She smiled at him.

"Sorry, you scared me! Hello, Hermione my dear. How's things?"

"Peachy. I'm hoping you got my letter."

"Yes, just this morning." He waved the paper in the air.

"Good. I had a question." He nodded for her to continue. "Well, I've befriended the Headmistress here, I'm sure I told you a bit about her in my first letter, well anyway, we were speaking about you and Fred, and she'd like to meet you both. I was hoping you'd be able to convince Fred to get away for a few days. I'm worried about him."

George nodded. "You and me both, 'Mione. I'll see what I can do."

"I figured he needs to get his mind off things."

George smiled at her. "So, talking about me, were you?" It was hard to tell with Hermione's face being in the fire and all, but he was pretty sure he saw her blush.

"Only good things don't worry." She smiled back.

"Well I should hope. There's never anything bad to say about us Weasleys." He puffed out his chest a bit.

Hermione giggled. "Except that your egos hardly fit in a room."

"Hey!" George pretended to look hurt.

"Well, I must be going. I'll see you, and hopefully Fred, on Tuesday? Say around noon?"

"Sounds good. I'll owl you if Fred won't come, although I'll probably threaten him if he tries to back out. Oh and he told me to tell you he said hello, I forgot to include it in my letter."

"Send him my love, and I'll see you on Tuesday." She smiled.

"Hermione?"

"Yes?"

"I…can't wait to see you." George grinned sheepishly.

Hermione returned a sheepish grin. "I can't wait to see you either. Goodbye, George."

"Bye, 'Mione."

Hermione's head disappeared from the fire and George slumped down in his desk chair. Fred poked his head in a moment later.

"Oy! Twin! Bit of help out here?"

"Sorry, Fred. Coming." George stood up and headed out to the floor. "Oh, don't make any plans this week. You're being kidnapped." He gave his twin brother a grin and began to take care of the impatient customers at the counter.


	6. Good to Know

**A/N: Written for a contest on The Third Floor Corridor.**

**Brighter**

**Disclaimer: I wish I owned them. Twin sandwiches!**

**Chapter 6: Good to Know…**

Fred gave his twin an odd look, and turned back to the customers queuing up at the counter. When the shop was empty once again, he turned back to George with a raised eyebrow.

"Kidnapping me?"

"Yep. Hermione's orders. I'm to bring you with me this week to Holly Hill."

Fred sighed. "I don't know…"

"Fred, this isn't a question. You're going, whether you like it or not." George grinned. "Hermione insists. Or would you rather her come here and get you herself?"

Fred rubbed his eyes with the back of his hand. "Damn that witch." He couldn't help smiling a little.

XxXxXxXxXxXxXxX

Tuesday came, and Hermione woke up extra early. She took a nice long shower and picked out a comfortable pair of jeans and a blue t-shirt. She quick dried her hair with her wand and attempted to tame it a little. She even caught herself putting on a bit of make-up. She made her way to the hall and found Beth sitting at a table, looking rather nervous.

"Are you okay, Beth. You look a little green."

"Oh…yes." She whispered, looking down at her breakfast plate.

"Beth…" Hermione warned.

"Okay, okay! I'm nervous!" Beth's cheeks flushed a little.

Hermione smiled knowingly. "He'll love you, trust me. Those boys are great people, you'll get along just fine, I promise."

Beth let out a deep breath. "Okay. I'm just being silly. I've got to stop acting like a girl." They both chuckled and finished off their breakfast.

Hermione looked up at the clock. "Well, we're not meeting them for another hour."

Beth nodded. "I'm too excited to wait up here. We'll walk down slow I guess."

"Good idea." The two girls walked out of the hall and out the front door. It was a beautiful summer day, just a little breezy and not too hot. They enjoyed the weather and Beth explained the kind of shops that were in Holly Hill. It sounded like it was just a bigger version of Hogsmeade. When they arrived Hermione checked her watch.

"It's still early. Is there a book store?" Beth nodded enthusiastically and pulled Hermione in the direction of the book shop.

"This is my favorite place to buy books!" Beth exclaimed as they opened the front door. The bell jingled merrily over their heads. She waved hello to the man behind the counter, who seemed to recognize her. Hermione and Beth browsed through the books for about 20 minutes before Beth checked Hermione's watch.

"Bugger! We're late!" The two girls turned around and ran out the front door and down to the local pub.

XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx

Fred and George were standing outside of Kitty's Broom, the local pub, waiting for Hermione and Beth.

"Write this one down in the history books," commented Fred.

George raised an eyebrow at his twin.

"Hermione Granger is late." Fred grinned.

"You're going to tease her unmercifully aren't you?"

"Yep, I wouldn't have it any other way! I still tease Ron about dancing with McGonnagal when he was in 4th year."

George smiled at the memory of his awkward 14 year old brother being asked to place his hand on his Transfiguration teacher's waist in front of every Gryffindor 4th year and up.

"And here she comes now…" Fred pointed to the bushy haired girl running down the road. "And she's not alone. Forget to mention something, dear brother?" He noted the taller blonde haired girl running after Hermione, and then turned to look at his twin.

"If I had told you, would you have been so willing to come?" George inquired.

Fred thought a moment. "Nope." He grinned.

"Okay, so shut it." George grinned back and turned his attention to Hermione, who was coming to a stop right in front of him, panting.

"Sorry…got…distracted…" She managed.

The blonde girl smiled. "We've…got…a…great…bookshop…" she finished for Hermione.

Hermione smiled. "George, Fred. This is Beth."

Beth smiled at George and Fred. George smiled back, and Fred's jaw seemed to be not working properly, as it was hanging open. George noticed his brother's rude look and jumped in for the save. "I'm George, the better looking twin," He stuck out his hand. "And this gaping git over here is Fred." He smacked Fred on the back of the head in order to bring his back to reality. George noted that Fred had forgotten about teasing Hermione, and he was grateful.

Fred shook his head and managed to come back to the world of the living. "Sor-Sorry about that…" He stammered, offering out his hand.

Beth giggled and shook both their hands. "It's nice to meet you both. I've heard wonderful things."

George raised an eyebrow at Hermione. Before he could comment she stopped him. "Hey, not all the things she heard were from me."

"Well, where else would she hear them?" Fred asked.

Beth smiled. "You're in textbooks you know. Everyone knows about your escape from Hogwarts in your 7th year." George and Fred blushed simultaneously. "And," she continued, "My father was a big fan of your products. He bought me Weasley's Wildfire Whizbangs for my birthday the past 2 years." She grinned.

Fred beamed. "Those are a favorite of mine. We invented them the summer before 7th year, remember George."

"Oh, how could I forget?" George pretended to wipe a tear from his eye. "Such fond memories."

Hermione rolled her eyes and poked George in the stomach. "Shall we go inside? Or sit out here all day?"

"Well, we could if you-" George began, but was cut off by Hermione pushing him towards the entrance to the pub. They entered and the girls grabbed a seat in the corner, while the boys went up to the bar to order some Butterbeers.

"So…" George raised an eyebrow at his twin.

"What?" Fred attempted an innocent look.

'The look of innocence doesn't work on me, brother. We have the same face."

"Bloody hell. I forget that a lot."

"How can you? It's like a mirror…" George shook his head. "So, anyway, what was the stupid gaping and the beaming for then?"

"I don't know what you're on about." Fred became extremely fascinated with the wood patterns on the bar.

"You think she's cute, don't you?"

"Don't you?" Fred asked, glancing back at the table where the girls sat.

"Yes, but you know where my heart lies."

"Oh, yes, dear Hermione." Fred grinned.

George stuck out his tongue. He glanced back at the table also. "Wonder what they're saying about us."

XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx

"So…" Hermione turned to look at Beth with the same face that George had given Fred, eyebrow raised.

"Oh, Hermione, I owe you my first born." Beth grinned. "He's adorable."

Hermione nodded, laughing. "Yes, they're a couple of show offs, but they're completely cute, and harmless."

Beth looked over to where the boys were standing by the bar. "You think they're talking about us?"

"Wouldn't doubt it." Hermione watched them closely. Fred was stealing glances over at the table. "Fred's not being too discrete about it." She giggled.

"So, what is going on with you and George? Are you a couple?" Beth asked.

"No, he actually told me how he felt about me the night before I left to come here. I told him I wanted to just get to know each other better, because I wasn't sure how I felt about him."

"And?" Beth grinned.

"He's absolutely adorable and funny and sweet and I like him. A lot." Hermione blushed.

"Like…a lot, a lot?"

"Yes."

"Like, if he kissed you today you'd be giddy for weeks and weeks?"

"Yes."

"And if he asked you to be his girlfriend you'd say yes?"

Hermione paused for a moment, thinking. "Yes."

Beth grinned. "Good to know."

Hermione smiled at first, and then realized what her friend had said. She looked at Beth quickly. "What? Why is that good to know?"

"No reason." Beth smiled innocently.

"Oh no…that doesn't work on me. You forget who I've known for years." She gestured to the two ginger haired boys who were making their way towards the table.

Beth just grinned and shrugged, and Hermione was disappointed to know the conversation wasn't going to continue, because the boys were back with their drinks. She hoped Beth wasn't planning anything, although she was almost positive today was going to be quite an interesting day.


	7. Scheming

**A/N: Written for a contest in The Third Floor Corridor. Special thanks to Sodapop77 for reading this chappy before everyone else. ;)**

**Brighter**

**Disclaimer: Not mine, but oh…twins.**

**Chapter 7: Scheming**

After about 30 minutes of joking and laughing with the Twins and Beth, Hermione got up and excused herself to the ladies room. Beth was positively beaming when she got up, and that made Hermione a little uneasy. She had noticed Beth and Fred shooting looks at each other, and they seemed to be having a conversation with their eyes. Hermione was used to that going on between the twins, but it made her wonder what was going on anyway. She hoped Beth wouldn't mention their previous conversation about George while she was gone.

So many thoughts were running through her head as she looked in the ladies room mirror. All of her suspicions about her feelings for George had been confirmed when she had flooed him that afternoon. Just seeing his face made her grin, and his gentle teasing about her talking about him made her blush furiously. And when he had said he couldn't wait to see her, it had sealed the deal. Because it was exactly the way she felt about seeing him. When she had walked, or ran, up to the pub that afternoon, the look on George's face was enough to make her melt. It was that look she wanted to see every time she saw him. And she wanted to see him often too.

She blushed at the thought. Who would have ever imagined, prim and proper bookworm, Hermione Jane Granger, having these feelings for number one (or two, depending on who you asked) prankster, George Frederick Weasley? Hermione sighed and patted down her hair, before returning to the table.

XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx

Fred had just launched into a detailed recount of their first attempts at a joke shop, when they had begun it through mail order. Beth was leaning on the table, listening intently to Fred's every word. George rolled his eyes a bit and chuckled to himself. Fred seemed genuinely happy, and George was glad for his twin. It was the first time in awhile Fred had talked so adamantly and George could see the spark was beginning to come back in his eyes.

George's eyes flitted over to Hermione, who was watching Fred tell the story. Her eyes seemed glazed over like she was lost in thought. He wanted so badly to know what she was thinking. He had honestly been so happy to see her this afternoon. She had looked so beautiful, running over to him, breathless and panting, cheeks flushed. George blushed himself, thinking of some other things they could do to make her be that way. He shook his head, clearing his mind of those other dirty thoughts. He was honestly just happy to be in her company. He had never met another witch that could make him as happy as she did, just by sitting next to him.

Fred finished his story and Hermione stood up, excusing herself to the ladies room. She gave George a small smile, and then disappeared through the crowded pub. George looked over at his brother and Beth to see them looking at him with a similar smirk on their faces.

"What?" George asked.

"Oh, nothing dear brother." Fred smiled.

George blinked. "No, you're lying. What is it?"

"Well," Beth began. "I had a bit of an interesting conversation with Hermione before…"

Fred grinned. "You best make a move soon, Georgie."

George grimaced at the childish nick name. "Whatever do you mean, Freddie?"

Fred scowled. "I mean, kiss her! Do something!"

"She's got it bad for you, George.She toldme so herself when you guys were getting us drinks." Beth smiled at him.

"She…she does?" George couldn't believe it. His luck was never this good. Ever.

Beth nodded. Fred snickered. "I think Beth and I can find some way to give you the proper amount of alone time."

Beth smiled and nodded her head. "Oh, and here she comes now." George made a face. "No time to plan it out, just go with your gut. It'll be fine, I promise."

Hermione came and sat down just as Fred stood up.

"Beth, you fancy a walk around town?" He gave her a charming smile.

Beth nearly melted. "Sounds like fun." She turned to Hermione and George. "We'll meet you guys later, in front of Honeypie's, the sweet shop."

Hermione grinned at her friend, and George merely nodded, as he was still trying to work things out in his head. He watched his twin and his blonde partner in crime walk out the front door. _Partner in crime, that's what I'm supposed to be! And here they were, plotting the demise of my love life._ George couldn't help but grin. They'd only know each other a half hour and were already able to execute the perfect plan. _They'll make a fine match._

Hermione poked him in the side. "Penny for your thoughts?"

George looked confused.

"It's a muggle expression, sorry." Hermione grinned sheepishly. She always seemed to forget the Weasley's unfamiliarity with certain muggle phrases. "What I meant was, what are you thinking about?"

George smiled. "The impending relationship of those two." _And the possible start of ours. _

"Oh, yes they seem to be getting on famously!" Hermione smiled. She was happy her friends were getting along. "Fred looks like he's finally happy again."

George nodded in agreement. "Yes, finally. I'm glad; he's been in a right state ever since the whole Angelina thing happened. Maybe he'll finally be able to get over it."

"Those things take time."

"I'm not trying to rush it, but he needs other things to keep him occupied." George moved a hand over and pushed a piece of hair behind Hermione's ear.

Hermione froze when his hand grazed her cheek. His touch sent shivers down her spine. She felt her face get hot, and she looked down, hoping to hide the blush creeping up her neck.

It was too late, because George had noticed it. "Hermione?"

She managed to pry her eyeballs away from her lap. "Yes?"

_Come on, George. Go with your gut. It's the only plan you've got right now._ His brain was screaming at him, and so he did the only thing he could think to do. He leaned forward and closed his eyes, planting a kiss on her lips. He couldn't believe he actually was doing it.

Hermione was frozen in shock. He was kissing her. She felt an electrical spark shoot through her body as she kissed him back, lightly at first, and then with a little more passion. He deepened the kiss and put his hand in her hair.

Reluctantly, he pulled away. She still had her eyes closed, but there was a smile on her face.

"Wow…." She breathed, opening her eyes.

George smiled at her. "Yeah…wow." He placed his hand on top of hers. "Hermione, I…I've wanted to do that for ages, but I wasn't sure you felt as strongly about me as I do about you."

"What made you change your mind, George?"

He smiled. He liked it when she said his name. "Fred and Beth."

Hermione shook her head and laughed. "I knew that little witch was up to something! She told you about our conversation?"

"Yes, a little bit. She told me you 'had it bad.' And my brother added in that I better do something fast. Then they made up an excuse to get us alone."

'They've known each other a half an hour and they're already scheming!" Hermione exclaimed.

George threw his hands up. "That's what I'm saying!" They both collapsed into laughter.

"Well, they did quite a good job." Hermione smiled and leaned closer to George.

"Yes, I reckon I'll have to thank them later." George smiled back and leaned in, closing the space between them with another kiss.


	8. Lucky

**A/N: Sorry guys, this is the end. This story was written for a contest at the Third Floor Corridor.**

**Brighter**

**Chapter 8: Lucky**

Beth and Fred walked slowly around the town, not saying much. Beth was really nervous being around him, but she had had a few shots of firewhiskey at the pub, so she wasn't as bad off as usual. She was actually a bit giggly. Fred smiled down at her and she melted again. That smile could kill. She wondered if George had the same one, and if it affected Hermione the same way. She sighed out loud and smiled back at Fred.

"You know, you might be seeing more of me, Beth." He winked at her.

'Oh really?" She raised an eyebrow. "And why is that?"

"Well, George and I have a meeting with a landlord here tomorrow. We might open a shop."

Beth squealed. "Oh that's fantastic! I won't have to use your mail order system anymore!" She grinned.

Fred laughed. "You better be careful. You're Headmistress now!"

"So?" Beth shrugged. "I like slipping my students fake wands now and again." She smiled. "So, if you get the space for the shop, are you going to be here for a long time?"

Fred shook his head. "Well, long enough to build, get the shop stocked, and then get people to run it for us. But we'll be here on occasion to check on everything."

Beth nodded. "Well I insist that you come to the school for dinner when you're here."

Fred's eyes lit up. "Food? Wicked!"

"Well, I think we need to go meet the love birds." Beth giggled.

"You think that's what they're saying about us?" Fred asked.

"Probably are."

Fred put his arm around her and they began walking to Honeypie's Sweet Shop. He stopped in his tracks. Beth looked up at him curiously and then to where he was staring. There was just some couple snogging on a bench.

"What?" She asked him.

"Well, would you look at that?" He pointed.

She took a closer look at the couple, and couldn't believe her eyes. It was Hermione and George on the bench in front of Honeypie's; snogging like no one else was around. Beth's jaw dropped.

"Wow."

"Yeah. Talk about making a move. Go George!" Fred grinned.

"I think we should give them some more time…" Beth said, turning around.

"Yeah, give them time to GET A ROOM!" Fred said loudly as he turned around and began walking away, smiling.

Beth followed him. "So, what do you want to do till then?"

"Well, my twin has given me a few ideas…" He said grinning mischievously.

Beth slapped his arm playfully. "Fred! We've only just met!"

"I know, I was kidding." He smiled at her.

"Well, I'll give you this and that's it." She leaned over and kissed him on the cheek. "And, there's plenty more where that came from." She winked at him and began walking ahead. Fred was frozen in his spot. He knew his ears were red also. He put a hand up to his cheek and grinned, before running to catch up with her.

XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxX

_6 Months Later…_

"I'll expect your essays to be finished by the beginning of class on Friday. You're dismissed." Hermione said to her class. They all got up and left the room noisily, some calling their goodbyes to the Transfiguration Professor.

Hermione sighed and gathered her paperwork and shoving it in her bag. She began the short walk to her room, when she ran into Beth in the hallway.

"'Mione! There you are!"

"Hey, Beth. What's up?"

"Well, I wanted to let you know the boys are coming up tonight for dinner." Beth grinned. The boys she was speaking about were the Weasley twins, of course. They had been working in their shop that had just opened in Holly Hill, and were taking Beth up on her offer of free dinner at the school on a regular basis.

"Oh really?" Hermione blushed. She couldn't believe she still did that. She and George had been officially dating for 6 months already, yet she still blushed when she thought about him.

"Yes, of course. You know them. They think with their stomachs." Beth smiled. She and Fred had been seeing each other for a few months also. It was really nice that her friend was dating her boyfriend's twin, because they could relate to each other. It was disturbing how many habits the twins shared.

Hermione sighed. "Wow. I feel like its only yesterday he asked me out."

Beth smiled. "Yeah, I remember that day all too well. You two, snogging in front of Honeypie's, not caring that you were in public."

"I can't even believe I did that! It's not like me at all." Hermione blushed again. "He makes me forget about all that stuff though. That's why I love him."

"Yeah, his brother is just the same, I promise."

The two women headed to drop off Hermione's stuff, and then down to the entrance hall, where two tall red heads were leaning against the wall, deep in conversation.

"Hey!" Beth called out, running at Fred and nearly knocking him over. A few of the students walking past laughed at their Headmistress, as they were used to her sudden crazy outbursts.

"Well, hello to you too." Laughed Fred, catching her in his arms.

George held his arms open, and Hermione snuggled into him. He wrapped his arms around her and kissed the top of her head. "Missed you." He whispered into her hair.

"Missed you, too." She whispered back. Their moment was broken by Fred's stomach grumbling loudly.

"I think it's time to eat then." He rubbed his tummy.

"I agree, dear brother." George grinned.

The four walked into the hall, and up to the teachers table. Beth leaned over to her and smiled. "How did we ever live life without these two?"

Hermione smiled, and looked over at George, who smiled back. "I honestly don't know."

-End-


End file.
